Failed
by Kellen
Summary: On a moonless night, Kirara becomes curious about the transformation Inuyasha goes through. When she follows him into the forest, they both find more trouble than they bargained for. Written from first person, Kirara's pov.
1. Chapter One

****

Failed

An Inuyasha fanfiction by Kellen

Rating: PG-13, for violence, some graphic images

Summary: On a moonless night, Kirara becomes curious about the transformation Inuyasha goes through. When she follows him into the forest, they both find more trouble than they bargained for. Written from first-person, Kirara's point of view.

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and Kirara, as well as other recognizable characters, are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. I merely play in her wondrous universe.

Author's Notes/Warnings: This is my first attempt at writing a first-person pov, much less a non-human, non-speaking pov. Kirara's intelligence is purely my own interpretation of her character. Please review if you read; I would really appreciate your input into Kirara's character. This is part one of three.

* * *

I watched him.

I watched him watch the others fall asleep. I watched him stare at the stars. I was curled up, comfortable on my companion's hip. The monk was asleep, meaning I could spend less time guarding my mistress, and more time contemplating the human who was still awake.

He wasn't always human. I glanced upward, taking in the moonless sky. I'd seen him thus before, and it wasn't hard to see the half-demon even when no demon was showing. He had the same look in his now voilet hued eyes. He sat the same way: cross-legged with his Tetsusaiga hugged to his chest.

But, he watched the sky with an alertness that I had rarely seen in him when he was his normal self. It made me wonder if he could actually hear or smell anything or if he was just trying in vain to compensate. I didn't know what exactly a human could or couldn't do; I'd seen him do some things I would have sworn no human could do while he was vulnerable like this. I'd watched my mistress and her family pull stunts that should have given me a nervous tic. The monk and the girl from the future all showed an ability beyond what I might have given them credit for.

So I wondered: Were they as frail as some demons seem to think? Or was there a strength I didn't know about? And where did that strength come from?

My ears twitched as they were wont to do when I am deep in thought. He looked down at me and our eyes locked for a few seconds. Red and violet. Demon and human. Usually he stood somewhere in between; a demon with a human's heart or some such poetic cliche. I wondered why he hated it so much; yes, he was weaker physically, but from what I'd seen, a human's strength isn't in the physical realm.

Then again, I had nothing to compare it to. The best I could come up with was somehow being stuck in my smaller form, but even then, I still had little fangs and claws and I was still quick. I could still hear and smell things I knew the humans in the group couldn't find.

Truth be told, the half-demon, at his human form, was probably the most vulnerable of us. He was still strong, yes, but the monk had his wind tunnel, my mistress had her training and the girl had her sight. Even the little fox-child wielded his illusions and his fire. The half-demon had learned to fight based on his demon strengths and had grown used to wielding a powerful sword that was nothing but a rusted blade for him on this night.

Maybe that's why he hated being human. He just didn't know how to be human.

When he stood up and disappeared into the dark woods, I stood up. With a quick look around -- I didn't want to leave the rest unprotected -- I followed him, making a silent promise to my mistress that I'd stay close.

He stopped at the foot of a large tree and glared balefully into its branches and I knew immediately what he was thinking. He'd rather be in the tree, but either didn't have the strength or the energy to get up into the branches. I'd watched him once miscalculate and undergo his transformation while high in a tree one night. He'd refused to let me help. I was inclined to just grap him and take him down, but my mistress insisted I let him do this on his own.

It resulted in him spending half the night unconscious after he slipped and fell.

Even so, it seemed he learned from it. He settled himself at the base of the tree, hugging his sword to his chest and staring intently into the sky. I sat in front of him, just out of his immediate reach and watched.

I'll admit it; I was curious. And I was more than willing to listen in on any conversations he might have had with himself. I wanted to know more about this human thing.

When he just sat and stared, I grew impatient. I mewled, getting his attention.

"I know you're there," he said, not looking down.

I wrinkled my nose. He's supposed to be talking to himself, and, in the process, enlightening me.

Well, he wasn't cooperative in the best of times. I shouldn't have expected so much.

"What'd you follow me out here for?"

I pricked my ears; he was talking. Wonderful. I waited. And waited. And kept waiting. It seemed that was all he had to say. His head came down, and once again, our gazes met. He regarded me for a few moments before saying something that I was totally unprepared for.

"I underestimate you, don't I? We all do."

I snorted. Of course they did. That's what being a demon cat whose smaller form is overly cute will do to you. It didn't help that I just can't talk like they do. They seem to think that if you can't communicate via their words then you can't communicate at all. Fortunately, my mistress knows better. She knows I understand, and she knows I follow her and serve her of my own choice.

Maybe it's love. I don't know. I'm beginning to feel the same protectiveness toward the rest of the group as I do to my mistress (though I'm partial to her). I can't decide if I do that because I like them as much as my mistress or because she identifies with them. Whatever the reason, I followed the half-demon tonight.

He kept talking. Finally, and I'd almost missed it because I was too busy thinking.

"We treat you like a pack horse sometimes." He regarded me with an intelligent gaze. I was surprised; however insulting it may sound, thinking was not his strong suit. He'd much rather jump into action and take things as they come. "You're more than that."

I missed the rest of what he said. A rustling in the not too far distance caught my attention. I must have sat up straight, because he trailed off, watching me, using my reaction to gauge what he can't see or hear. So I turned, trying to show him the direction it came from. Then, to my left, a screech echoed in the night.

That, I know he heard. He jumped to his feet, searching for what made the noise. I snorted softly and transformed in a ring of flame. That alarmed him; he knew that meant trouble.

Trouble we did have: at least two demons, one to the right, one to the left and both coming our direction. And neither one was happy.

And I had been too preoccupied with trying to figure him out to realize it sooner. I needed to be his sensitive demon side tonight. Messed that up. The demon to the left screeched again and I realized it was a bird. That meant I couldn't take to the sky without the risk of being seen, and I wasn't about to risk taking a human into battle with two very unhappy demons. I could smell the anger.

TBC…

* * *

Yes, I do realize it is short. I am of the opinion that cliffhangers, while a wonderful writing device, should not be in the middle of an action sequence, and chapter two is all action, so I cut off chapter one at a point where nothing has really happened, but suspense has built. Let me know if you think I've done anything wrong. :o)

Thanks ever so!


	2. Chapter Two

**Failed**

An Inuyasha fanfiction by Kellen

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: I have no claim upon recognizable characters or concepts, nor do I profit from their use.

Summary: When Kirara becomes curious about the transformation Inuyasha goes through on the moonless night, she follows him into the forest. What happens next is more adventure than the two ever asked for.

Chapter Two

He stood to the side of me, one hand gripping his sword's hilt and the other held to his side, fingers spread wide, as if he were ready to attack with claws that weren't there.

Something rustled to my left and I turned sharply in that direction. Growling as I caught youkai scent, I stepped backward. The bird youkai screeched again, too softly to be jarring but loud enough to sense the anger in the call. My shoulder brushed against the human boy's side. His hand rested on my shoulder. I nudged him.

We had to go. We had to go now. We didn't have time to stand around. I nudged him hard enough to knock him off balance and when his hand tightened reflexively on my shoulder, I stepped forward, nearly pulling him off his feet. Off-balance for only a moment, he quickly climbed onto my back. "You coulda just asked, y'know," he grumbled. I huffed.

There were too many trees to fly effectively, and a bird youkai in the air somewhere. My only comfort was that if I were handicapped in the air, so was the bird.

It was to my right, the other youkai coming along the ground -- I could hear it breaking through underbrush -- on my left, and it seemed they would meet between me and our camp.

Unless I hurried, that was.

I had to get to camp; my mistress needed warned. The camp needed roused. I pushed off the earth, flying low and dodging trees. The youkai to my left suddenly picked up its pace dramatically. The bird to my right dove lower to the ground.

They were going to meet in front of us. I'd never make it past. I wheeled, nearly unseating the human, trying to get around behind the less agile of the two creatures: the one on the ground.

The human drew his useless sword. The noises of the lumbering youkai were loud enough now he could hear them. I drove through the underbrush, lighting on the ground and half-running, half flying. I pushed through a thicket, half expecting to come out right on top of the grounded youkai, the way I was recklessly heading for camp.

I nearly did. I camed into a small clearing, barely big enough for me to turn around in, right at the heels of a huge bear youkai. The bird was close, too, pinwheeling through the tree branches above us. The bear snarled at me, and took a half-hearted swipe that I sidestepped.

The hawk took the opportunity to dive at the bear with an earth-shattering battle cry. The bear dodged and clawed at the hawk. I ran for cover, the human crouched on my back. The hawk twisted sideways, claws extended for a killing swipe at the bear, but missed the bear entirely.

I pushed off the ground, but I was too late. The hawk dodged the bear's wild swing, and suddenly found its escape route occupied.

Occupied by me and my passenger. I was barely off the ground when the hawk barreled into us. The human swung that useless sword, landing a hit that only served to anger the damned bird. I slid sideways, and the boy fell. The hawk shoved at me, trying to claw at my eyes. I roared, backpedaling. The hawk pressed its advantage.

It wasn't until after it happened that I realized I couldn't feel the hanyou-turned-human anymore. I wouldn't know until much later that the sword had been dropped and the human had fallen. I wouldn't know where he was until I, with the hawk still shoving and clawing at me, pinned him against fallen tree. And I wouldn't realize it was him I'd accidentally pinned until I heard his pained cry, and felt the bones give under my weight.

I stilled when I realized what I'd done.

That was a mistake; the hawk clawed my side. I retaliated, growling and swiping a paw, catching the bird in the side and throwing it aside, toward the bear lumbering toward us, toward its prey.

Human hands -- hands that I'd hurt -- latched onto my ruff. I rolled to my side, and he swung a leg over my side. Quickly, and hoping I didn't drop him, I leapt upward. He nearly fell again, leaning too far forward.

He knocked me off balance. I wobbled a little in the air and dropped to catch a sturdy branch to push off from. His hands clutched my ruff and I heard his breath hitch. Judging by the ragged breathing, that was not a happy hanyou-turned-human hunched over my back. I pushed off the branch and spun in the air, narrowly avoiding the hawk's claws and taking a half-hearted swipe at its wing. I couldn't fight while taking care of an injured human. I snarled, my frustration getting the better of me. I could not fight like I needed. I could only evade.

And I wasn't doing a very good job of that, either. The spinning turns, the ducking and wheeling had to be tempered to something my passenger could handle. I snorted. My options were limited. Keep the human and risk being cut open by a hawk youkai. Put the human on the ground… My thinking trailed off. No. I would not. Put him on the ground next to an angry bear? He'd be torn apart in seconds.

And as long as the hawk was busy with me, it would not be diving into the camp where our party slept.

Once again, the human surprised me. He leaned forward, pulling himself toward my ear hand over hand. He hissed in pain and mumbled curses in annoyance.

Not that I could blame him, of course. Some of the choicer curses I'd heard were running through my head.

"We're too close to the camp," he grunted.

He must be reading my thoughts. Humans must have that ability. It's happened too often to discount. I huffed, agreeing. At first, my only objective was to get to camp, but now… Now, that the very real possibility that angry youkai would stumble into the camp had come upon us, I wished only to be bait, to lure them away from my companions.

But I had a responsibility. I ducked underneath a branch, paws nearly skimming the ground as I avoided another attack. The bear looked in my direction and took a leap toward me, but I was already in the air when the huge paw came down. Vaguely, I noted the bear's scent shifting, changing direction, but I was preoccupied with the hawk.

It dove again, coming at us from above. I made a dash for the cover of an old tree and nearly crashed into branches. The human hunched over my back as leaves and small branches showered down on us. The hawk screeched and I growled in satisfaction. It had gotten entangled in the branches.

Not a happy youkai, but it gave us some time to regroup.

There was a light slap on my shoulder, and the human called my name. I turned my head, already sniffing the air.

The bear!

Its scent shifted again, less angry and more predatory. For its size and appearance, it moved effortlessly away from us, deftly moving through the brush with nary a sound. It had become a predator on the hunt. I sniffed the air again.

The wind had changed and it blew the tantalizing scent and sound of sleeping prey right into our faces.

The bear youkai was headed for the camp.

I growled. The human's hands tightened in my ruff and he straightened, whispering a ragged "No."

I agreed. I huffed a warning to him and without waiting for him, I roared and leapt toward the bear. With an angry screech, the hawk freed itself from the tree and dove after us. The human leaned forward, nearly burying his face in my neck, and held on tightly. I didn't stop when I reached the bear; to do so would have been suicide by hawk. I raked my claws over its back, and took a swipe at its face as I passed. The hawk, a little too intent on its dive, dug its claws into the bear's back. It roared, the hawk cried and I added my voice.

And if that racket didn't wake up the camp, I was going to just give up.

I landed in front of, but out of immediate reach of, the bear.

The bear reared up, then rolled and successfully batted the protesting hawk away. With a thunderous roar, it came back down on its front paws and snarled at me.

I started forward; this was a fight I fully intended to finish. The bear was not getting to the camp. I didn't care if the youkai fought each other forever; as long as they didn't come near the camp. As long as they didn't injure the human I was protecting. (I pushed away thoughts that said I was the one who pinned him; it was the hawk's fault. The bear's fault. Anyone's but mine.)

He moved, sliding off my back and falling to the ground. I paused, growling low and watching the bear. "Go, Kirara. Fight your fight. I'll get to camp."

I blinked. Surely he didn't think he was in any shape to actually walk that far? There wasn't a way.

I didn't have time to think about it; the bear leapt forward. I turned to meet the charge as the human clumsily leapt into underbrush. I ducked under a powerful swing, then sideways. Up and down, up again. Wheeling around closer to the bear and pulling away. I evaded every blow, leading it away from the human, away from camp. Farther into the trees. The further away, the better.

And all the time, I kept track of the stupid, foolish, brave human's scent. I followed the hawk's every movement with my ears. I leapt over a wild swing, dodging gnashing fangs. I landed out of reach of the bear, head up. The hawk had moved. I peered into the brush, finding the flash of red I was looking for. Eyes wide and a sense of foreboding nearly paralyzing me, I looked around frantically for the hawk.

I found it diving into the brush, aiming straight for the fire-rat red haori.

I roared, finally attacking the brute in front of me. It cried out as I slashed its face and leapt over it. Claws digging into the earth, breath coming short and red eyes wide in anger and panic, I scrambled toward the human I was supposed to be fighting with.

The hawk shrieked, the human cried out. Branches splintered and broke. I smelled fresh blood as the hawk broke through the branches, wings widespread as it shot into the sky.

I was too late.

No. I couldn't be.

Please, don't let me be too late.

TBC

One chapter left. Please review, if you are so inclined. I'd love to know what you think.


	3. Chapter Three

_Failed_

_An Inuyasha fanfiction by Kellen_

_Rating: PG – 13_

_Disclaimer: Inuyasha, Kirara and all other recognizable characters are intellectual property of Rumiko Takahashi. I use the characters not for profit, but for my own amusement. _

_Summary: Part Three of three. When the moonless night comes 'round again, Kirara follows Inuyasha into the forest, curious about the transformation he goes through. What they find is more than either wanted. A simple adventure written in the POV of the series most neglected character: Kirara. _

_Author's Note: This is written in first person Kirara's POV, which I thought would be an interesting challenge. I have never written anything beyond a drabble (or a journal entry!) in first person, so I decided to challenge myself with this. I hope I did the characters justice. Please remember this is only one interpretation of Kirara. I believe she is an intelligent, sentient creature; I have a discussion with a friend following the first movie to thank for that point of view. Since it is in first person, you'll notice it's not omniscient; in other words, Kirara is the only 'person' whom we hear thoughts from. Please keep that in mind when reviewing; it is intentional. This is the last part of the story. _

_Part Three_

I found him soon enough -- I had never really lost him -- and alighted next to his prone body. He lay amidst pieces of splintered wood, tucked against a fallen log. For a moment I was worried, even though I could hear his racing heart. Then it occurred to me: I couldn't hear his breathing, nor see his chest rise. Worried and confused - What had happened with the hawk? - I raised one paw and rested it gently against his chest, worried. When he batted weakly at my paw, I mewled.

This not breathing worried me. Humans breathed. I breathed.

The half-demon-turned-human did not.

I pressed against his chest, careful of my claws. My ears were flat against my head and I couldn't quite stifle the worried mewling. He clawed at my paw, blunt human nails not even penetrating the fur. Suddenly he gasped, a short ragged sound.

"Off." He batted my paw again and I lifted it. He rolled away from me, coming up onto his hands and knees and breathing as deeply as he was able.

I hunkered down next to him and looked into his face. It was pinched with pain, his eyes closed and mouth twisted. I don't remember it, but I must have made a sound. He looked at me and spoke. "Just got the wind knocked outta me."

I snorted; I could smell blood, could feel the pain and fear radiating from him, could hear bones grate together as he moved. I stood up and nudged him gently with my shoulder. I knew making him move was not the best idea, but leaving him in the midst of warring demons was infinitely worse.

He didn't move. He only stared at me with a completely blank look upon his face. Had I been human, I might have sighed. As it was, I just looked blankly back at him. Finally he said something. "If you're trying to get me to move, cat, you're going to have to help."

Oh. There were only a select few times in my long life that I felt stupid. This was one of them. Had I not just thought about the blood and grating bones? I lowered my head, trying to display my chagrin, and knelt next to him. With a very pained grunt, he pulled himself onto my back and clutched my ruff like it was a lifeline.

Perhaps it was.

I stood up, staying still for a few moments. Maybe he thought it was to give him time to adjust. Whatever he thought, it didn't matter; I was trying to find the demons. Still between us and camp.

How I hoped my mistress had awoken!

The human on my back looked in that direction. "I hope they've at least woke up," he muttered.

I glanced at him, no longer particularly surprised. He'd done it again. It had to be a human trick.

I started away from the battle, but his hands tightened in my fur and pulled back. I snorted. I did not like being treated like a mindless horse. "Kirara, no," he said. "We get back to camp."

I stamped a paw in irritation. That's what I was trying to do, by flanking the youkai in the woods. He dared think I was retreating? Those are my people there too. I continued on my way.

He growled in frustration. "Kirara!"

I looked back at him, ears flattened, frustrated but also surprised. I knew he had a strong instinct to protect our group, especially the girl, but I had always chalked it up to an Inu Youkai instinct to protect the family. Perhaps it was less instinct and more emotion that drove that need to protect. I growled low, hoping he got the message: "Stop annoying me and we'll get there faster."

I think he took it to mean "Leave me alone; I'm getting us away from here." When I moved again, he actually had the gall to slap the back of my head. There wasn't much force behind it and it was more frustration than any intent to hurt that motivated him but it was still enough to stop me in my tracks. No one had ever hit me like that. Never.

He slid off my back, grimacing and grunting as he landed and swayed unsteadily. "Go hide, then," he sneered. "I'm going back."

Perhaps he meant to make me angry. I don't know, but I do know that the pain he was in, and the motives he had, hid the anger in the words. To me, he sounded much like my mistress did on those days when the battle seemed insurmountable, when the enemy had won and she still needed to fight.

I could never be angry then. I couldn't be angry now. It took but one small bound to land in front of the ailing human. I gazed at him nose to nose, only inches apart. Most people flinched at the sight on my fangs. He scowled and tried to shove my face away. I shook his hands off and growled. Maybe I wasn't angry and maybe I respected him, but I could still be annoyed.

His hands were fisted at his sides; he knew he couldn't get past me now, injured and frail as he was. "I need to go back, Kirara."

I nodded vigorously, hoping the human motion would be enough for him.

He blinked. "You know I need to or we are going back?"

Both, you idiot! I wanted to scream at him. I settled for stamping my foot. I wanted him to see my displeasure but not think I hated him. It was a fine line indeed.

"I'm going back."

I mewled and nodded.

"Then why do you keep taking me away from camp?"

I simply stared at him. Surely he wasn't this stupid. Was he? I tried to figure out the best way to tell him what I intended and could only come up with turning in circles to demonstrate "around". With a huff, I stepped sideways, intending to do just that, no matter how degrading it might be.

He stopped me by twisting my ear.

First he hits my head, and then pulls my ear? I've not been treated such since I was kitten! I turned back to him, eyes narrowed and growling.

"You were trying to flank them, weren't you?" he asked as he dropped his hand.

I nodded again, relieved and annoyed. My ear was still twitching of its own accord. He stared at me, blinking owlishly. "I musta hit my head harder than I thought," he muttered. He reached up and scratched the base of my ear. "Had to get your attention," he muttered.

I snorted again. He was even sounding a little more human. Almost apologizing. Perhaps it was the injuries. There were times when, even as a half-demon, he seemed almost civil and sociable. I knelt beside him, offering my back again now that we'd come to some sort of agreement. When he climbed on, I stood up and stayed still while he buried his fingers into my fur. He hunched over, probably trying to take pressure off of ribs that I knew were broken, and whispered, "Let's go."

I growled and leapt forward. We took to the air, once again staying under the cover of the trees, both of us hoping the sunrise was not too far off. We had family to protect, after all.

We'd only been moving for a few minutes before my nose caught a smell that frightened me and my ears found a sound that brought me relief. I meowed, forgetting the human on my back couldn't understand what I was telling him. My mistress was up and around, I could hear the monk shouting and the girl from the future was running. I sniffed the air; was it her blood I smelled?

So wrapped up in the beloved sounds of a camp that was not dead, I missed what was more immediate.

The demons had moved. Suddenly my senses were filled with bear youkai and I looked to my left. There he was, lumbering on the ground with a deceptive gracelessness. I moved to my right and a little higher, pushing off a strong tree branch. The human hunkered down on my back to avoid branches.

The bird youkai screeched a mere moment before it hit me. I slid sideways in the air, feeling claws dig into my right shoulder. I hissed, dearly wanting to turn mid-air, but not daring to displace the human. I couldn't reach the demon without twisting, and to twist would surely send the human I was trying to protect falling through the branches. We weren't too terribly high, but already injured and falling at the feet of a bear demon? Who knew if he'd survive the fall alone.

His left hand convulsed in my fur and I could smell a fresh torrent of blood.

The bird must have hit him as well. I snarled, rolling my eyes to try to see what was happening. I was near frantic, throwing my head back to try to snap at the youkai, trying to claw it with my left paw, trying to stay still enough not to throw off the human.

I could barely hear him cough weakly through the screeching in my ear. "Protect them," he whispered before letting go. His hands slid through my fur and I twisted sideways, toward the damned bird, trying to keep him in the air. Claws sent agony shooting through my side; I'd bared vulnerable flesh trying to keep the human from falling.

I screamed a battle cry when I felt the boy fall. I heard him hit a branch, heard his pained cry. My attention turned to the bird. Free I was, but longing not to be. My freedom to fight this battle cost more than I wished to pay. I twisted sideways again and curled in on myself, clawing the youkai with my back claws and tucking my head to bite a flapping wing. Growling, I let myself fall, twisting yet again so the bird would take the brunt of the fall.

I never heard my mistress' battle cry, but I did sense the youkai bone Hiraikotsu coming my way. The bone weapon dug deeply into the bird demon's flesh, cleaving its spine and leaving me free to worry over the fallen human. The bird's dying shriek echoed in my ears even as I shoved its body away. Without turning to check on my mistress, I dropped to the ground, huffing and whimpering as my shoulder was jarred.

I turned toward where the human had fallen only to get a faceful of bear youkai breath. To put it mildly, it stunk horribly. It smelled of blood and dirt and rotting flesh. My ears flattened, my nose wrinkled and I snarled. The bear looked at me, fangs bared and growling to match my snarls.

If it had dared maul the human I had been protecting...

Rue the day.

I leapt, claws wide and mouth open, shrieking. I hit the bear in the chest and it rolled backward. We tumbled end over end, each snapping, biting, snarling and clawing and neither gaining purchase. I saw a flash of red sprawled on the ground and turned my head to look at the fallen human.

I shouldn't have done that.

The bear used the distraction and latched its teeth around my throat. At first I didn't feel it. The bear rolled again and pinned me. Its teeth punctured skin. Blood began to well. My breath grew short.

I panicked. I clawed at the bear's belly with my back paws and swatted with my front. It flinched. Blood poured down onto me where I scored its belly.

But it still didn't let go.

I swatted its face, gouging an eye.

It still held fast.

My blows were weakening.

I couldn't breathe. Couldn't see.

I couldn't --

Protect.

Failed.

It should have been my last conscious thought.

The bear suddenly reared back, dropping my neck, and roared. I turned my head, blinking. I had to see what was happening. Did my mistress catch up to us? Was it the girl's arrow?

All I saw was the human on his knees near my head. I mewled, glad to see him alive. The bear howled and scratched at its own face. The human turned his gaze to the youkai, looking determined but exhausted. "Just die," he whispered.

The bear turned its head, and I saw it. Saw the branch embedded deep in its eye. It shuddered, and fell. Just die, I repeated to myself. Just die. Neither of us was in a condition to finish off the thing and I could hear my mistress and the others running toward us. It would be a close thing should the bear decide to attack.

With a growl that was more a groan, I moved to stand in front of the human who knelt next to me. "Protect them," he'd said. To me, he was a part of "them", and as much under my protection as my mistress. Perhaps it was because he'd given of himself so that I'd be able to fight. Perhaps it was because we'd just spent several hours dodging death. Perhaps I'd always known it. Even so, it was this moment where it was proven.

The bear convulsed and its foul breath left its body in a hiss. Dead. I sank to the ground, weary. The human fell sideways, landing on my uninjured shoulder. He patted my leg as his eyes closed, and I curled around him. That's how my mistress and our friends - our family - found us moments later.

* * *

The sky was lightening, but the sun remained below the horizon. I sat curled on my mistress's lap, watching the still human half-demon who lay rasping for breath upon the 'sleeping bag' the girl used. The girl hovered over him, and while he occasionally drew enough breath to complain about it, I caught him trying to hide a small smile as she fussed over him.

Of course the fussing was mutual, once he discovered the scrape across her knee. It had been her blood I'd smelled only a few hours ago. She'd quickly explained – in quite the frustrated tone – that she'd awoken to quite possible the scariest sound on earth, shot to her feet, and promptly tripped over the young kitsune.

Had I been able to, I probably would have laughed when the half-demon turned to the kitsune and said "You watch where you're going."

I meowed, getting the half-demon's attention. My mistress petted my back. I stared at him, eyes wide, wishing I could just speak and ask the question.

"What, cat?" he grumped.

I blinked. How was I going to ask about the hawk? He couldn't understand me, but perhaps he really could read my mind. So I stared at him, and thought about the hawk, just in case he actually could hear my thoughts. My gaze wandered to the sky as I thought about the hawk youkai that nearly killed him.

"What do you want to know, eh, cat?" He slanted his gaze on me. "About that hawk, ain't it? You want to know what happened."

He really could read minds. I blinked.

"It's the only part you missed," he pointed out.

Oh… so he can't read minds? The human condition was confusing me. Blinking away the thoughts, since he was still talking, I turned my attention back to his rasping voice.

"Waited 'til it got close enough, ducked under that log, and it hit the tree. It wasn't happy."

I snorted. From what I'd seen, he hadn't been very "happy" either.

My mistress's hand stopped her petting. I butted her hand with my forehead, and turned my ear into her fingers. She took the hint and, smiling, scratched delicately at my ears. Before long I was purring. I caught the half-demon watching through half-closed eyes. I sat up straight, and my mistress's hand fell away. My purr became a growl, and I twitched the ear he'd pulled earlier.

He snorted. "Can't still hurt," he whispered disdainfully.

By now, everyone was watching and listening.

I crouched, making like I was ready to pounce. My growl turned into a snarl. I was having way too much fun. My mistress was chuckling. The boy's gaze leapt from me to her, and understanding dawned on his face.

So, he hadn't known the cat had it in her to tease.

My tails twitched. He raised a hand. I pounced, landing neatly beside his head and used one tiny paw to bat at his still human ear. Well, this was no fun; human ears didn't twitch. I sat back, wincing a little. I'd jarred my shoulder a little much in my play.

Sunrise wasn't too far away. I could wait.

"You are not pulling my ears," he told me, pointing at my nose.

I narrowed my eyes; the way this night was going, he'd scruff me like a just born kitten. Slapping, ear-pulling… Insufferable. As soon as the sun rose, those dog ears were mine.

_The End_

_Now, aren't you impressed? My first finished InuYasha fic. How cool is that? ((Well, ok, I find it exceedingly cool.)) I had toyed with a short, light-hearted scene involving Kirara's actual stalking of Inuyasha's ears, but found it just would not fit into the story, what with the main focus being the night. I leave that to your imaginations, and should anyone wish to write a sort of follow-up featuring "The Hunt for the Ears" do contact me, and I'll grant you permission. _

_For those of you following my other story, Legacy, I warn you again, that one is coming along very slowly. I will not abandon it; I know where I want to go with it, but I am using it as an exercise in actual novel writing, so I am working particularly hard on it. I am starting work on another multi-chapter IY fic, still untitled, in which Souta is abducted for a ransom from the shrine, and Kagome enlists InuYasha's help. I've checked out a couple Japanese culture and mythology books from the library for help with that one, so chapter one may take a bit. _

_Special thanks to all my wonderful reviewers. You people are wonderful, and I was thrilled by the reception this fic had. It far outshone anything else I have posted. I thank you, humbly and deeply. I'm honored. _

_Cheers, and see you soon!_

_Kellen_


End file.
